Solar heaters have gained popularity in recent years due their environmentally efficient manner of providing heat and because of low energy costs associated with their use. Most currently available solar air heaters operate by converting sunlight to heat within a glass or plastic (e.g., compressed plastic or UPVC) covered enclosure. The heat is then trapped in the enclosure by the glass or plastic and released into the building as desired.
In general, solar heaters are economical to build or buy and require minimal energy costs to operate, as the energy received from the sun is free. As such, these devices provide an easy inexpensive method of using the energy of the sun to augment heating of homes and other buildings. However, currently available solar heaters are yet to be widely used. One of the reasons for this may be that available systems do not address how they can be integrated into a building and used alongside other heating or cooling systems. For example, most prior art devices do not take into account how they affect the amount of sunlight that enters the building. A lot of the solar heaters block windows. As a result, these devices prevent sunlight from coming in and also block the view of the residents. Moreover, current systems can be improved to address not only heating, but also other related issues such as ventilation.
Therefore, a need exists for providing an improved energy efficient heating device that is easy to use and integrate into a building and offers solutions that address heating, ventilation, beautification and more.